If you’re sick of Meryl Streep and all the accolades she
gets just for showing up on screen every year, there’s good news: Sometimes,
she allowed to make a mediocre movie in which she can deliver a
non-Oscar-worthy performance. Of course, a subpar performance from Streep is
equivalent to gushing reviews for the rest of the acting world. Ricki and The Flash is one of those
movies that won’t make the list of great Streep films (yes, there are a few),
but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.

Streep stars as Ricki Rendazzo, an aging singer in a rock
band relegated to playing a regular gig at dive bar in Tarzana, Calif. Ricki’s
world changes when she gets word that her estranged daughter Julie (Streep’s
real-life daughter Mamie Gummer) is going through extreme psychological
distress after her husband leaves her. Ricki heads to Indiana, where her
wealthy ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) allows her to stay in his home to help
bring Julie back from the brink. It turns out Ricki’s real name is Linda, and
she left her family behind years ago to pursue her musical career. Besides
Julie, she also left her sons Adam (Nick Westrate) and Josh (Sebastian Stan)
behind. Josh is engaged to Emily (Hailey Gates).

As Ricki hangs around, Julie perks up. The relationship with
her sons is strained, especially when Pete’s wife Maureen returns from visiting
her sick father. Maureen eventually kicks Ricki out, and she returns to California
to rejoin the band and strike up a romance with her lead guitarist Greg (Rick
Springfield). When an invitation for Josh and Emily’s wedding comes, Ricki must
decide whether to return to Indiana and risk further embarrassment.

Ricki and The Flash
is a movie with a predictable premise and heartfelt intent. Streep’s pedestrian
greatness is always present on screen, but the story and script (written by
Diablo Cody) make Ricki and The Flash
feel disjointed and inconsistent, especially in the final scene. The music is enjoyable,
and Streep displays her commitment to her craft by providing all the vocals and
some of the instrumentals in the movie. The “Flash” band is played by real ‘Rock
n’ Roll’ professionals with impressive resumes, too.

Rick Springfield also deserves a little credit for his role in the movie - both as a musician and actor. His portrayal is somewhat autobiographical, and you can sense the real conflict in his performance.

As a parent, I have a hard time reconciling “following your
dream” with abandoning your kids, so the lead character of Ricki is a little hard to fathom. There are a lot family issues that can’t be reconciled with a few
musical numbers. Life isn’t like that, and all can’t be forgotten and forgiven
just because Mom has a great cover band.